LABOR AGENTS.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4316, 30 May 1879, Page 3

LABOR AGENTS.

TO THB KDETOB OF TH3 PBH4J. [ Slß,—Will you kindly silo m mc, au n eupporter of your valuable paper, to iiaeiition a few " Fdcte " $a the working men who are' seeking for employment at the hands of that' valuable fraternity, the "L»bor jlgents." Firstly, I may state that I am sorrj- u> learn that the Timaru barracks aw> full, iin d that many are walking about from the lately] arrived steamship Stad Haarlom. Now this if a very gad state of affairs if it be all true, and I doubt not the veracity of the etatement, a* it comes from a very )-eliab.le source. Now, if any of these unfortunate i young to the country) think of applying to. 1 any of these labor agents, I; would (by your permission) advise them not to appl", bat seek with more vigor for themuelvoi<; rind in giving this sdvice, beg to quoti it few "Facts" which unfortunately can* nnder ay notice. Firstly, that a certain labor agent in Chrutchurch sent two mini (who had walked from Timaru) to Oxford, a distance of about forty-three milee. After reotiriiig the! ordinary fee (whioh in some eases xnisbt be raised, according to the opinion the agent; might form of hie riotim) thejeteftal with tight hearts oa their journey, th<)y bad been fairly done by. After on» d«,y and six hours hard and difficult wallting the/ roached the above-mentioned "Pajradiie," and to their horror and dismay found is _a hoax. How, Mr Editor, I most leave you to imagine the feelings of these poor men. Now the way in which this piece of bueinnie is per-, formed is something like thin:—!fbo new chum (and sometimes the old), nppHes to the labor agent, perhaps bee!i sent by some one interested in getting unfortunates out of the district. lie applies, believing as before, it is bo?itz-jidt' dealing, pays bis fee, whioh sometimes hap]{tens, to be the last 2s 6d he has, and arrives nt hiu destination after, perhaps, »ome days w Jilriz, to find, as is the case seven titt.es oat <ot ten cases, that it is a hoax. I am sorry to say that many a poor man ie sent up cotmtry to a place whioh has long since been n*led| up or "never existed. They know, cr believis that the man applying has.sot araoh.money, if any, to return to ihow the ;matU'r up, and thus they lead a very hard life or (lie on the' .track. .; ;. .. :■.'■'■; I, I mention the above circnnißtao)«g, not bo much to briag discredit on thai thrrfing; community, the labor agents, as that lay friends may know what to expect befca-e teopljing to that valuable fraternity, the labo/iifente. ■ Touie, &0.. ■ ;■ .;■ -- ; . jls. j. i